Lodging Leaders

Paul Kesman is a marketing and public relations professional with over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry. He assists hotel owners, management companies, capital providers and suppliers to the industry define and articulate what separates them from the competition and develop strategies to convey their messages in the right manner, to the right read more

Eliza Selig is the Director of Communications for Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®), a global professional association for financial and technology personnel working in hotels, clubs and other hospitality-related businesses.  She has been with HFTP since 1999, overseeing the association’s communications endeavors, including serving as editor/managing editor of the association’s journal The Bottomline. HFTP read more

Howard Feiertag, CHA, CMP, CHSE, is an industry veteran, with more than 50 years of service to the industry. He is currently on the faculty of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, in the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, where he teaches Hospitality Sales as well as Meetings and Convention Management. A prolific writer, read more

Gregory L. DeShields, CHO, CHE currently serves as the Executive Director at PHLDiversity Multicultural Affairs Congress a division of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB), adjunct instructor for Temple University School of Tourism and Hospitality and Hospitality Educators. A graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, Greg earned an A.S. Degree read more

Rupesh is the CEO of 3Hospitality and SmartGuests.com, and he operates award winning hotels in the Daytona Beach area. Known for his out of the box, innovative thinking, Rupesh has incorporated his marketing and design background into the hospitality industry to deliver simple ideas that bring smiles to guest’s faces and drive revenues for his read more

Rick Takach, Jr. is President and CEO of Vesta Hospitality – a fully integrated hotel development and hospitality management company based in Vancouver, Washington. In less than 20 years, Vesta has grown their portfolio to 13 properties under management in 8 states. Last year, Hotel Business ranked Vesta Hospitality #78 in their Top 100 Management Companies of read more

Gary Douglas is a best-selling author, international speaker and a sought-after facilitator known for his intensity of awareness and his incredible capacity to facilitate people to ‘know what they know’. He chooses to embody consciousness in everything that he does which inspires others to choose to become more conscious as a result. Gary came with read more

Mike is co-Founder and President of Newport Hospitality Group (NHG) – a nationally recognized hotel management company with operations across the eastern United States. Since Mike and long time family friend Bill Carey founded NHG in 1990, they have grown their portfolio to 34 properties under management in 5 states. Last year, Hotel Business ranked NHG #66 read more